Paw Prints
by Arkhadios
Summary: Blake Belladonna, princess of Menagerie, has reached the dreaded age at which people generally expect her to get married. Preferably soon, and to an influent, admired man that could then have her family and island thrive. Reluctantly, she dug out an old family tradition that wanted any potential bethrothed to prove their rights by claiming the front door's key neclaced to a cat.
1. 1 - Shying Away

And here we go ! This was inspired by a writing prompt on Tumblr. This is a sort of "modern" AU. It will probably be a short story, with short chapters... But I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless !

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The sun rose, bright and early as it could only be in tropical lands, while a brisk wind blew the few colourful flags disparately hanging between houses. In short, it was the lovely beginning of a bright day in Kuo Kuana.

Well, bright day as long as it didn't suddenly shift to thundering rain as it was common around here, Yang thought while opening the curtains of her small, practical home. Sighing, she popped her spine back in place while waiting for her sister to emerge from her slumber. It was still a bit odd, waking up so far from Patch and its chilly pasture, or from the busy Vale, and perhaps that's why Yang was awake so early… Their father had decided to move on Menagerie around a month ago, and Ruby and her had followed begrudgingly. At least he had waited for them to wrap up school before moving out to the other side of the world…

Finishing up her morning stretches, Yang smiled when she heard the distinct 'thud' of Ruby's hand trying to smack off the light, utterly unable to ignore her sister's desperate attempts at pushing back the day.

"Wake up Rubbles," she said softly as to not startle her. "You can't be late to school."

"Don't wanna go…" came the tired, whining and partly-muffled-by-the-blanket answer.

Shaking her head, Yang knew that Ruby would get up eventually. Despite all her complaints, Ruby actually loved school. She was always thrilled to learn new things, whatever the subject… The only part of school she was reluctant about was making new friends. Still smiling into nothingness, she slowly eased herself into a split, closing her eyes as to focus more on her feelings, the subtle twitch of her muscles that gave her way more information than any visual cue ever could.

A decision she would come to regret immensely later, as she did not see the small, silent puff of white fur and paws more commonly referred as a kitten that approached her and suddenly headbutted her side. This of course triggered a yelp of absolute surprise, and a wrong move that sent a bolt of pain in her entire leg. She toppled over and curled, feeling like her muscles had been suddenly ripped off of her with burning claws, and didn't even find the strength to stay mad at the offender as it stared at her, its green irises round and surprised, entirely still.

Groaning, she let go of her aching leg to softly pet the cat between the ears, voluntarily ignoring Ruby's barely masked laughter. Another thing she had yet to get accustomed to : there were cats everywhere, and they didn't know humans foolish concepts such as boundaries or personal space. On cue, several other furballs trespassed the window, softly purring, and very shortly Yang found herself overrun with cats of all shapes and colours, purring and rubbing their cheeks against her arms in a visible display of affection.

It was something new, but overall not that uncomfortable. After all, she always had had a soft spot for felines, and being greeted every morning by a clowder of cats was something she'd gladly look forward to. Not to mention that for some reason, maybe her higher-than-normal body temperature, every cat she ever met instantly trusted and liked her. Even the most feral ones, that usually fled all human presence, those were quick to come to her and purr. All of the sudden, she noticed that there was one more cat compared to yesterday, a slender, coal-haired one whose eye glimmered with an intelligence unparalleled in its siblings' gazes. It was sitting on the edge of the window, a glimpse of mockery in its deep, gold-amber irises and if Yang didn't know better, she could have sworn it was laughing at her expense in its very own feline way. Smiling warmly, Yang slowly extended a hand toward the newcomer, palm low and turned upward as an invitation to come closer.

At her surprise, the obsidian feline suddenly tensed, its back arching and fur raising as a low growl slipped between its now barren teeth. Taken a bit aback, Yang recoiled her hand a bit abruptly, eliciting a displeased meow from the striped cat that was on its path.

"Sorry I scared you kitty-kat," she said softly, having completely forgotten about Ruby.

Tilting its head to the side, it visibly relaxed as if it could understand Yang's words. Or more likely, it understood the apology in her voice and the reassuring tone she had tried to slip in… Its ear flicked, and for a second it looked ready to jump in the room, paw hovering the edge of the window and collar pendant softly jingling in the morning breeze. That was until Ruby's giggle escaped her, startling the ebony cat that then fled lightning fast as Ruby erupted in laughter, surprising most of the cat in the room. Except maybe for the white kitten that tickled her palms with its whiskers and purred in contentment.

"Sorry I ruined the moment Yang," Ruby slipped in between two laughs. "It's just that between you speaking to a cat and this one here nuzzling my hand…"

"Don't worry about it."

She rose up to her feet, not without difficulty as she had to push back some of the most clingy cats, and was about to start getting dressed when the door to their small living room opened, Taiyang beaming just behind it.

"Rise and shine honeys! Today is a great day and… where did all those cats come from?" He suddenly stopped, blinking at the flurry of felines that blinked back, soon causing general laughter.


	2. 2 - Rescue

Again, a rather short chapter... I hope you'll like it !

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A few days went by, always rhythmed by the soft purring of cats that would awake her in the morning, accompanying her routine and daily stretches, and by the low rumble of waves that lulled her to sleep once the night fell, only remaining sound under the quiet moonlight. Bit by bit, Yang was starting to get accustomed to this new place. Even if it was far from anything she'd ever known… It was her new home. The hesitant ebony feline hadn't shown up at their house again, sadly, but Yang had seen it a few times on her commute to school.

Most of the time, it was clawing at a trap that was just sitting there, cat food tempting the felines around… But the coal one seemed way to smart for those traps. It always found a way do dismantle, disarm or destroy it, and it rarely ever touched the food, rather letting it stay in a dark alleyway for other four-legged mousers to feast on. Whenever she could, she dismantled the traps herself, utterly outraged that some people thought it was okay to trap such gracious, freedom breathing animals. The more she did so, the more the black cat seemed to let her approach it… oh, never in touching range, but enough for her to notice the delicately woven collar and the small, silvery key that silently dangled from it.

Everything in this particular feline was striking, from its intelligence to its devotion in helping other cats… And that's why, despite the ridiculousness of such idea, Yang was starting to believe it was a guardian, a protector of some sort for all the felines of Kuo Kuana. That aside, traps seemed to multiplicate lately, and she could now rarely ever set foot outside without having to deal with one, more often than not helping panicked cats of all coats and shape out of them.

Just as she frowned at that particular thought on her way back home, Ruby nudged her and pointed to a silver shining under a bush, the silent exchange bringing a very questioning look on Sun's face. Groaning and muttering about how uncivil it was, she went to the offending piece of metal, and thanks to her experience with these, rapidly opened it to reveal a shaking, striped red kitten, barely old enough to live by itself. Smiling softly, she extended her hand toward the fear-stricken creature, letting it sniff her and get used to her presence, before she even dared grazing its fur from the tip of her fingers. Soon, it trusted her and her delicate, albeit callous hands enough for her to slowly pick it up from the ground and cradle it to her chest. Making her way back toward a jaw-dropped Sun and an almost cooing Ruby, she flashed a cocky grin toward the former.

"What, you thought I couldn't be sensible and delicate ?" she snickered, slightly regretting that she couldn't place a hand over her heart in mock hurt.

"Well DUH!" Sun exclaimed, vaguely pointing in her direction as if to grasp on the reality of things. "I saw you obliterate a punching ball with those same hands not twenty minutes ago !"

He was flailing his arms around as if to emphasize his incredulousness, and Yang almost snorted in laughter before rolling her eyes and resuming her path home. Sun was very lively, and fun to be around, but he also tended to hit on her nerves with his silly ways sometimes… Still, she was glad Ruby had managed to befriend the joyful monkey despite her shyness. The fact that sun was a very enthusiast learner – a bit uncontrollable, but enthusiast nonetheless – certainly helped with that, and more often than not Yang surprised the two of them vigorously debating niche subjects like gunpowder invention or Palaeolithic creatures. Whenever it happened and she was close by, she usually just zoned away in her thoughts, smiling softly. As much as she was determined to be a good student, she wasn't particularly enthusiast either.

Except maybe for boxing. That was the part of the day she looked forward to, each and every day. Boxing brought her the thrill of danger, the amazement of competition, the feeling of power, all of that in a safe environment. It was her safe space, in certain ways. It allowed her to think, blow off steam and relativize most if not all her problems. Sparing a tender look for the kitten now nuzzling her, she fondly remembered what had gotten her into boxing in the first place…

Namely, her father and her self-esteem issues. Most people couldn't believe her when she told them she had struggled very harshly with her abysmal self-esteem… Probably because of how out-going, joyous and proud she was now, all thanks to those boxing classes. Whenever she slipped on her gloves, she felt empowered. Proud. Strong. It was one of the few things she considered herself actually good at, and even if she would never throw punches outside of a ring, it had reassured her immensely and helped her allow herself to risk new things, to try other activities. And even when she wasn't good at them, she now just shrugged it off as not her thing, instead of blaming herself for never being good enough. Truly, boxing had helped her in countless ways.

"Oh my god. How many more cats are they here ?!" Sun's exclamation forcefully brought her out of her thoughts.

He was gawking at the flurry of furs meowing and purring around their small home, a dozen cats stretching and enjoying the late afternoon rays of sun. Ruby shrugged, starting to count them, while Yang casually walked amongst them without so much of a reaction, delicately placing the latest rescue on the ground and carefully watching it sniff around before jumping on a similarly coloured, much older cat.

Sun made a step toward her, almost bouncing eagerly as he approached the felines, but his movement didn't go as unnoticed as Yang's… Rather, the closest cats menacingly hissing and taking numerous steps backward, backs arched and fur raised.

"Careful Sun, they're very shy," Ruby stated, perhaps a bit late.

"How come Yang gets to pet them?" he whined, still taking a step back and letting the cats visibly relax.

"That's called feminine tact Sun," she stuck her tongue at him, playfully wiggling her fingers for the kitten to chase. "A monkey brute such as yourself wouldn't understand."

"Don't listen to her," Ruby intervened. "She has a way with cats… Even I can't get that close."

As to prove her point, her baby sister tried to approach the clowder, only for the same reaction to occur. The only cat not openly worried was a little white gal, which instead meowed and trotted toward her asking for snuggles.

"No way… Yang! I've got to show you something! NOW!" Sun suddenly bounced, all kinds of eager.

"Jeez, calm down, you look like you're about to explode" Yang smiled.

Truth be told, Sun's enthusiasm was very contagious, and soon enough all three of them could be found running toward a part of the city that Yang rarely ever visited : the palace's surroundings. It wasn't really richly decorated, nor even more precious than the rest of the city. Rather, the buildings were a bit bigger, and neatly maintained garden were stretching all around, exotic trees and sumptuous flowers tempting all senses. When they deliberately grew closer and closer to the palace itself though, Yang's worry started to grow, and her pace started to slow. Were they even allowed here?

When Sun stopped in front of a big notice board and pointed toward it with both his hands and tail, she swallowed her concerns, finally deciding that she might as well have a look.

What she found, and read, then struck her with the violence of a car. It was a royal announcement, One of those fancy written letter that she usually dismissed with a shrug… It said that Menagerie's Princess, Blake Belladonna, was searching for a suitor now that she had reached adulthood. The announcement was accompanied by a portrait of said princess, jet black hair surrounding piercing amber eyes and breath-taking beauty, but that was not what had surprised Yang.

No, the surprising part was in the conditions for being accepted as a suitor… Anyone deeming themselves worthy of the princess would have to get the silver key dangling around the royal cat's neck in order to open up the front door of the palace and present themselves. And next to that statement was another portrait, this one of the aforementioned cat… that was, undoubtedly, the ebony guardian that Yang had met many times before.

And suddenly realisation hit her : why there were that much cat traps around, why she had seen so many men trying to capture cats, why black cats in particular were afraid and suspicious… And as scathing rage started to boil in her veins, for those who forcefully trapped cats as well as for those who required someone that young to get married to a stranger, from the corner of her eye she saw the ebony feline, curiously staring at her from one of the palace window.

Cursing under her breath, she swore to herself that she would do as much as she could to help that poor cat, constantly chased and surrounded by people who saw nothing more but a way to royalty in it.


	3. 3 - A matter of Trust

Phew, took me a while to finish up this one... sorry for the delay, and I hope you'll enjoy !

Also I wanted to thanks all those who Followed / Favorited or Reviewed the story, it warms my heart and help me get through writer block 3

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They made their way back home way slower, the group split between Sun and Ruby's enthusiasm debating how odd and out-of-a-fairy-tale this situation was while Yang tried to keep her burning anger in check, entirely silent for the whole path. She still was barely believing what she had read, and more so, that some people were able to go as far as trap and hurt innocent creatures just to attain power and royalty. It seemed so… obvious ! The cat was a test, in order to find a compassionate, kind and good-natured suitor… Not just a weird tradition that would congratulate the most skilled hunter.

When they finally arrived back home, the clowder of cats was still here, happily and eagerly meowing when Yang approached. It calmed her almost instantly, magically… who could stay mad at a flurry of whiskered furballs ? Slowly walking amongst them, she ended up sitting in the middle of a cat circle, soon nuzzled and meowed on from everywhere, an irrepressible smile curving her lips as she could only melt for them.

"Soooo….." Sun trailed hesitant, before bouncing up in enthusiasm. "Could you teach me ?"

"Teach you what?" Yang raised, genuinely lost

"That!" He opened his arms toward her, pointing at her and the cats simultaneously.

"Well I can try…" she snickered. "But I can't guarantee your monkey brain will be able to learn"

Flashing him one of her best smiles, she was surprised by his complete attention. He didn't even fake hurt as she was used to see him do, completely ignoring her teasing to rather focus on her next words. Not so surprisingly, Ruby was listening intently too – even if she had already heard most of what Yang could say on the matter. Sighing, Yang shook her head before smiling.

"First of all, sit down. You towering them is making them nervous."

Almost instantly, both sat down, Ruby taking an extra second to pull on her skirt while Sun simply let himself flop down cross-legged. As a result, several of the most daring cat started to sniff the air in their direction, some even taking a step or two. The white kitten of course ran toward Ruby and started purring as soon as it settled in her lap. Nodding in appreciation, Yang pursued.

"Second, don't try to reach out for them. Let them come to you. They're shy and wild, it might take a while for them to trust you, so you have to show them you won't try to take their freedom. You can start small by extending your hand and letting it rest on the ground, palm upward. And if one of them approach, don't move." While speaking, she demonstrated… and of course, being already trusted by most of the cats around, some of them immediately approached and rubbed their cheeks against her palm, but she made sure to stay perfectly still.

"How long is a while?" Sun asked, eyeing a calico individual that lazily strode toward him.

"Depends. On the cat, the environment, on you… Plenty of things can change how long it will take. You can't rush trust."

"Oh, Yang! Tell him about your theory ! It helped me a lot!" Ruby piped up enthusiastically.

"It's a bit farfetched…" she slightly blushed, embarrassed by the load of nonsense that 'theory' of hers could contain, but straightened her posture when she felt Sun's gaze fixated on her. "I think that cats are way more intelligent that we usually give them credit for. That they can understand what we say to some extent, and probably even feel a bit of our emotions. So whenever you're trying to get one of them to trust you, no matter how stupid it might sound, it can help to reassure it verbally. Talk to them, make promises and hold them, that sorta stuff." She gestured before letting her hand fall back down.

She felt kind of stupid, saying all of that… Of course she had told Ruby before, but Ruby was her sister and a sucker for fairy tales, so sentient cats did not bother her a single second. Sun, on the contrary… She expected him to laugh, or mock her for reading too much in an animal behaviour. Instead of what he nodded, entirely serious before muttering wide-eyed.

"Do you think that's why they gave the key to a cat? Because it can guess your intentions, and then decide if you're worthy or not?"

"Maybe…" Yang said, taking a second to think about it.

Ebony, as she had started nicknaming it, was indeed a very smart and crafty… To the point that it could be trusted for an engagement though? That seemed a bit much… Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a very soft but very pleased squeal coming from Sun. Focusing back on him, she saw that the calico from earlier was now lazily sniffing his hand, going as far as to lick the tip of his fingers. And Sun of course was squealing in delight, doing the best he could as to not scare it away while at the same time struggling to keep his enthusiasm in check.

They made a few more attempts, before giving up and resuming their initial plans for the evening – meaning a few board games, many random discussions about each and everything, and some gruelling homework – before Sun finally went home, having Yang promise to him that she'd help him tame cats.

Later, much later that night, Yang woke up startled inexplicably. She sat up in her bed, heart racing and palm sweating, although she hadn't had a nightmare… No, she was just worried, all the sudden. As if she had heard something that was now quiet, silently worrying in the night. Groaning into the night and mostly to distract her from her increasingly worried thoughts, she knew that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep that easily and instead decided to get up. Maybe she'd grab some water, or run a bit around the house to get rid of that uncomfortable feeling or something.

Passing by the kitchen as quietly as possible, she held up a sigh as she felt no sign of fatigue whatsoever. If she'd keep up with those nocturnal outings, she'd end up completely exhausted… Giving up on a simpler method, she slipped on her sneakers and grabbed the first towel that was waiting for an impromptu beach trip in the entrance. As of now, the only thing that was sure to help her settle down and tire rapidly was to swim a few laps.

Her initial plans were however short lived, as a panicked and pained scream rose not that far from her, undoubtedly coming from a neighbouring cat. Towel in hands and a mix of rage and worry rushing through her veins, she didn't ponder for a second, instead running in what she hoped was the correct direction. Clenching her teeth, she couldn't help but imagine everything that could have a led a creature to let out such desperate, painful cry… and every scenario that came to her mind simply reinforced her rage, making her heart beat faster and her running speed up gradually. For the very first time, she considered using her boxing practice outside of a ring. That is, if she found anyone…

Barrelling in a moonlit alleyway, she haphazardly stopped dead in her tracks as she saw someone. It was a tall, red-haired man with a very proper looking suit, and a metallic cage under a security-gloved arm. And in that cage? No other cat than Ebony, looking downright terrified. Worse, its right back leg was soaked and at an odd angle, most likely broken.

"You better let that cat go." Yang growled, her rage clearly audible behind the calm, deep tone of her voice.

"This is none of your business sweetheart," the stranger stated with a sickening honeyed condescendence. "Get back home."

"I said you better let that cat go!" Raising her voice, she also slightly switched her stance to a fighting one.

He then smiled, but the smile never reached his eyes. Instead, he dropped the cage all of the sudden, inevitably drawing Yang's attention as Ebony cried out in pain, and used his cruel distraction to abruptly close the distance between him and Yang. As his fist connected with her ribs, he simply stated a "You should have listened," his ice-blue eyes fixated on her as she was sent flying backward by the sheer impact.


	4. 4 - Paw in Hand

I'm back! took me a while to write this one, sorry about the delay... I hope you'll enjoy nonetheless !

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Once the initial shock of the punch had faded away, Yang was quick to get back to her feet and raise her arms in a defensive stance. She didn't really have time to think, as the smirky, cruel man in front of her was already attacking again. But this time she was expecting it, and easily blocked his punch, surprised by the lack of strength behind it. Whomever this jackass was, he probably hadn't been in that much fistfights. Or, judging by his first blow, he fought too dirty to have met any kind of resistance before.

Well he was in for a surprise, for she was not about to let him pull another trick that easily. Slowly pushing forward, blocking the few hit he tried to land with her forearms, Yang finally reached the point where she had dropped off her towel, using a particularly slow jab to duck and retrieve it from the ground. It made for a very poor protection, but unfortunately Yang didn't have her gloves at hands reach, so it would have to do. Ignoring her opponent's mocking laugh, she rapidly tied it around her right fist, keeping an eye out for any low blow he might try to pull. But for now he seemed content on just laughing at her dismissively.

"Who do you even think you are? You really believe you have any chance against me?" his banter was accompanied by the same smirk he had displayed all the while, a smirk that Yang really wanted to erase the more she saw it.

Her first active movements had him blink in surprise, as he clearly didn't expect her to start fighting back. Bouncing on her feet, she made sure to be extra mobile, sending a flurry of light blows his way as to gauge his reaction before throwing herself head-in into the fight, as opposed to him. He took the first hits without as much as a grunt, then rapidly came back to his senses and deflected most of the following. Seeing he easily dodged the attacks, he started boasting again, most probably mocking her 'talent' in fighting… Yang wasn't listening. Her attention was entirely directed on his movement, their placement, their surroundings… Her main goal here was to coax him into a sense of superiority and security – that was hardly a feat, seeing how confident he was – but most of all, knock him down long enough to free Ebony.

Finally, she saw an opening. Doing her best to keep a straight face as to not betray her plans, she put much more strength in the next blow she packed, delivering a nasty overhand right when he tried to slip away, the force of the hit sending him straight to the ground with a sickening noise. Not hesitating a single second, she spun on her heels and rushed to the cage behind her, hurrying her hands around the lock and relying on pure strength when she felt as if she'd never have enough time. After a few seconds of fiddling, she maintained the door opened and gestured for Ebony to leave, turning the exit away from her – and away from the weirdo too, just in case.

"Quick, go!" she muttered to the flabbergasted cat, which started fleeing. It's leg was in bad shape, but that didn't prevent it from trotting away as fast as it could.

Which was a very good thing, considering that her opponent was no longer stunned to the ground.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Pure rage sounded in his booming voice, surprising Yang enough that she let the trap's door slip and abruptly close.

Which wouldn't have been much of a problem, save for her hand in the way.

She let out a pained yelp, for a split second wondering what kind of material was the cage made up of, and if she'd just broke a finger or if it would just leave a terrible bruise. One thing was clear though : she wouldn't be able to use her hand in a while. Which was a real problem considering she still had a weirdo to fight. Probably.

« Give up dude, the cat is gone. There's nothing you can do about that » she said, trying to muster a smug smile despite the pain jolting through her arm

« You little prick! You have no idea what you just did! » he stormed, taking a menacing step that would have made her stumble backwards if she hadn't already been on the ground and mostly unable to move. « I'll teach you to meddle with my plans! »

Okay, that meant nothing good. Clenching her teeth, she finally freed her hand from the metal bar, wincing at the purple marks already expanding, and she would have tried to talk it down or flee would it not be for the suspicious shine in her foe's hand.

« A knife? Are you fucking serious, you're going to stab me over a cat?! » if she was worried before, now she was downright terrified.

She could handle herself in a fist-fight perfectly, thanks to her training... but in no way she was ready for an unruled street fight, much less an assassination! The deadly glow swept toward her in a nearly perfect circle, and she did the first thing that went through her mind, namely yanking the former trap between her and the sharp accessory.

Which revealed to be surprisingly successful, as the blade bounced against the metal with a distinct sound. Her heart beat like crazy and adrenaline flew through her veins, panic shaking her hands as she realized how precarious her situation was. Of course she had to get in a fight with some maniac with a fucking knife! She scrambled to her feet, legs wavering under her uncertainties and the cage still in her hands, still too shocked to even attempt to flee.

Not that fleeing would help her that much- she was pretty sure that she'd just end up with a knife in her back. Many incoherent thought passed through her mind, most of them wondering what would it be like to die, to the point that she nearly missed the next frenzied assault. Falling back on her previous strategy, she threw the cage in harm's way yet again, but this time her opponent was expecting it, and instead of the clinking noise, the attempt was met with a pained scream. Coming from her of course, as the blade had drawn blood on the left side of her torso. That alone achieved to make her panic peak: he was aiming to kill. The thought of dying while trying to rescue a cat would have made her laugh, was it not for the pure, instinctual fear that took over at the realization that she was in mortal danger.

Her most visceral instincts fully kicking in, she made perhaps the stupidest move she could in such situations. She charged, yelling and with every intent to slam her improvised weapon into the head of her aggressor as hard as she could. A desperate attempt that would have definitely failed without the miraculous intervention that happened at the exact same time...

Against all logic, Ebony had come back, and even better : it had just jumped at the man's throat, clawing with all its might and providing an excellent distraction. Too engrossed in her action to even notice, Yang put all her weight into the hit, successfully knocking the man out - for good this time. At least she hoped so. When adrenaline faded out and she realized what had just happened, she suddenly dropped the cage, feeling numb and incoherent. However, logic came back to her pretty rapidly when she noticed that the knife that was destined to her had ended its course into the black cat's flesh, drenching it's coat in thick, crimson liquid.

She rapidly untied her towel, wincing as it moved her damaged fingers and setting it as close to Ebony as possible, slowly picking up the exhausted feline to place it on the towel.

« Don't be scared, I'll take you home and I'll help you get all better, okay? I promise I'm not going to hurt you, and you can leave whenever you're feeling better. But for now I really need to bring you home » she rambled, carefully picking up her precious package of cat and fabric - and knife unfortunately - with her valid arm, casting a sideway glance at her opponent laying in the dirt for good measure before departing toward her home. She would have liked to run, but the pain in her side and her cargo dissuaded her, instead forcing her to take long and slow, careful steps until she finally reached home.

Placing Ebony on the sofa, she then went to the nearby closet, rummaging to find the med kit, band aids... anything that could help really. She was halfway done making up an excuse as to why she had spilled blood in the entire living room in the middle of the night, when a painful cry made her snap her head toward her little patient. Just in time for her to see its form shift and turn, contorting in impossible angles and morphing its cry into something less feline. She barely believed her eyes, and blinked a few times before having to admit that there was a full-fledged woman where a stray cat stood not a minute ago. And with the scream of pain she had just let out? There was no way her dad and sister wouldn't awaken and demand answers.

Answers that she most definitely didn't have.


	5. 5 - Further Ado

_I'm still standing..._

Yeaaaah I'm back at it ! Despite poor wifi and even scarcer concentration over my WIP, I managed to finish that chapter. Hope you'll like it!  
_Also apologies for last chapter's quotation marks change... I wrote the second half of it on mobile, and I didn't even notice them when I went over the chapter to correct spelling errors x)_

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« Yang ! Are you- » Ruby's voice caught in her throat, disbelief baffling her at the strange sight.

"Girls, you're okay?" Taiyang's voice rose, admittedly a bit sleepily. "Oh my… what happened here?"

As he stepped in the living room and had around the same reaction as Ruby, Yang scrambled for a rational explanation as to why she was spilling blood on the carpet, another woman passed out on the sofa with a knife in her side. Of course she failed miserably, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of the water and trying to grasp at what seemed to be the last straws of her sanity. How on Remnant was she supposed to tell her father that she had rescued an alley cat, only for it to turn into a human under the pain of its wounds? She barely believed it herself ! As she started gasping for air, panic clawing to her logic and faltering her breath, her father took a few steps forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, effectively grounding her as he gave a reassuring squeeze.

"Hey it's okay my sunny little dragon. Take your time, breathe, you'll tell when you're ready. In the meantime," he let go of her shoulder and started to walk toward the phone, which made worry explode in Yang's brain. "I'll call an ambulance for your friend here."

"NO!" She burst out, instinctively knowing that this was a very bad idea.

Luckily, it stopped her father dead in his tracks. And somehow, she found the strength to muster an explanation.

"Dad, a guy out here attacked us… I… he didn't see us go, but he didn't look like the type who'd give up that easily…" hands shaking, she could practically feel the stranger's eyes burning on her neck. "If you call an ambulance… He'll know where we went… Please, can we find another solution?"

She had stammered all through her weak statement, but it didn't matter as Taiyang stepped aside from the phone, a crease forming in his eyebrows somewhere between worried and infuriated.

"Okay, okay. Listen, I'll call in Qrow. He won't be pleased to work off-shift, but if that can help you relax, I'll do it." He almost departed to his room to make the call, but stopped a second before disappearing. "Ruby? Please help your sister and our guest while Qrow makes it here."

And that's how she found herself – forcefully – seated in a nearby armchair, a bandage against her ribs and an ice pack on the damaged fingers, while Ruby carefully moved Ebony into a recovery position, making sure that the knife didn't budge. Once that was done, and since there wasn't much they would do beside wait for their uncle to show up undoubtedly either drunk or in a very bad mood, Ruby sat beside her and slowly, carefully started brushing her hair. The small gesture warmed her heart and did wonders to keep her calm despite everything that had happened… After a fleeting second of hesitation, Yang decided to trust her sister entirely. With the whole story, the weird reason that had her go outside at such time, the stranger's cruelty, the way a cat turned into a human before her very eyes. Everything.

Except maybe the feelings of dread, existential fear and absolute panic that had washed over her again and again. That was something she'd never burden Ruby with. It was her emotions, her problems to deal with. And surprisingly, the disbelieving comments she was half expecting to get never came. She was only met with Ruby's slow nod of approval, and her silver eyes widened to their max at the sheer possibilities her story raised.

"I swear to whatever you want Taiyang, you better have a f-" Qrow interrupted abruptly upon seeing the two of them looking at him with wide eyes. "flippin' good reason for waking me up. Hey what's up with you kiddos, you look like you've seen a ghost?"

He took a second to assess his surroundings, cutting off any attempt of an answer as he suddenly noticed the blade's hilt sticking out of Ebony's ribs and the blood covering the sofa. With a curse, he dropped to his knees in front of the sofa faster than she would've thought was humanly possible. Immediately, all kind of grumpiness or playful banter left his voice, replaced by the cold and unyielding professional tone he no doubt used when on the shift. Grumbling and muttering, he carefully assessed the situation before throwing orders at the two of them, softening when he saw them flinch at the unsuspected authority in his voice.

"Listen kiddos, I need you to act quick and avoid questions until I say so. Can you two do that?"

Nodding more than answering, they then sprung into action, time fleeting by as they hurried to bring whatever tool their uncle requested, their father sleepily but dutifully doing his part until finally the surgeon decided the wound was tended to and they could all relax and talk about what had just happened. Having already filled Ruby in, Yang let her gaze drift and her thoughts scatter when she knew for sure that her little sis' was handling the interrogation way better than she could ever have. Softly ghosting over the patch on her side with her valid fingers, she thought back on the event of the night. The vibrant, terrifying void as she had been certain she would die here because of a lunatic. The rage that had fuelled her hits, and still ignited her veins when she did as much as think about that stranger in a tux, that monster in human disguise. Most of all, the inner sense of right she had felt standing up in that alley. Carrying Ebony back here. Her rational disbelief at seeing her turn into a human – or mostly. Cat ears were still flickering atop her head, and she was pretty sure a black fur tail was curled under the light fabric of her torn shirt and jeans. And somehow, deep inside her, Yang felt as she had always knew, and only refused to acknowledge it.

Like she had simply brushed aside that instinctual truth because of how irrational it seemed. Her eyes trailed on the rescued, she blankly stared at her collar from which dangled the key, before realisation hit her once again with the violence of a train wreck. Of course they hadn't trusted the key to any royal cat, as intelligent as it might seem. Of course they hadn't handed it to a random shape-shifter either. Ebony's face was still half obscured by the sofa's fabric, and her eyes were still dolorously closed… But Yang could easily superpose her face with the one she'd seen painted on a royal announcement not the day before. And she was sure that her eyes would be bright golden… and her name as royal as the announcement that told the world her hand was for the taking.

Of course she would be no one else than Blake Belladonna, Princess of Menagerie.

And of course that creep wouldn't give up easily.

Wincing, Yang painfully thought that her most rational rambling of the entire evening was pretty dark… She was fucking neck-deep in trouble.


	6. 6 - Secrets and Revelations

I'm back! And I'm sorry it took me so long to write this chapter, I hope you don't mind... I kind of have trouble focusing, and I was writing and working on many other projects of mine. Again, apologies. And thanks for everyone reviewing the story, I really love hearing from y'all! Anyway, I won't keep you any longer than I already have.

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It took two more days before any evolution showed in Blake's state. Two more days that Yang spent at her bedside, anxiously watching her and willingly ignoring the concerned looks her father and uncle threw her from time to time. She had stubbornly refused to set foot outside of the house, paranoid worry clawing at her every time she did as much as pass by a window, and she knew it was worrying her family… But what else could she do? Every restless night she spent, every glance she snuck at the outside world… It only brought her remainders of the twisted, pure rage rumbling and crying in this stranger's voice. She was lucky it was the weekend, otherwise she would have had to go to school, like it or not… She was still a bit frustrated at herself for how much she allowed this stranger to impact her, but it was only natural. She still felt the dull throbbing in her right hand, and the wound on her ribs was as itchy as it was terrifying.

She had barely left the room in which Blake rested too, worried of what could happen if the girl woke up while she was away. What would she think? Would she be worried? Would she turn back, leaving her with a very complicated explanation to do? She had no idea, and was tempted to simply forbid it from allowing by always being there. But she was still a human being, and had need she had to cater to… and of course, the raven-haired girl woke up just when she had left to grab a glass of water. She instantly knew from the sudden ruffling of sheets, although admittedly Ruby calling for her helped a bit. She nearly ran to the room… actually, scratch that, she ran with all her might, her thirst and drink completely forgotten on the countertop while a trillion scenarios played in fast forward in her head. Worry was growing exponentially with each second it took her to go back, and it was multiplied tenfold when she heard what she thought was Ruby meekly trying to reassure their guest… and utterly failing, if her high pitched voice was anything to go by.

She stopped at the door, although some might say she had stumbled against the doorframe in her haste and had been paralyzed by the intense golden glare that was directed her way as soon as she stepped in. And wow. Those eyes? They were beautiful, deep golden speckled with brown, shining with intelligence, worry and somewhere under all of that, recognition. It was one thing to see her asleep, and another one entirely when she was awake. She was exuding raw, powerful energy and there was an air of seriousness that radiated from her rigid posture that left Yang breathless for a while. If she was neck-deep in trouble before, then she had just dived and was about to happily drown…

Sparing a second to internally cringe at how tired she must look, she then put aside everything but her concern for the girl.

"Are you okay?" A simple enough question, that easily broke the surreal silence that had settled.

"I think so." Her voice was surprisingly calm, almost silvery. "Where am I? Who are you? And where's…"

Her voice broke and she not-so-visibly shivered, a silent communication established between the two of them as Yang instinctively knew exactly who she was referring to.

"I'm Yang, and this is my sister Ruby. You're at our house, because you were hurt and I was worried he'd find us…"

Their eyes met once again, sharing a mixture of understanding and worry as not another word was ushered.

"Uh… who's 'he' ?" Ruby intervened, visibly lost in the middle of that much non-verbal communication.

"Ruby, I left a glass of water in the kitchen. Could you fetch it for me?" Yang answered instead when she saw their guest tensing, eyes glazed over as she most likely remembered the fight.

Nodding rapidly, her baby sister got out of the room at a normal pace. Apparently she had caught on the silent request Yang had made, which was a relief. Plopping down on the seat by Blake's bedside, Yang sighed lightly.

"So…"

"How much do you know?" the tone was harsh, but understandably so as it was lined with fear.

"Well… I know you're the princess of Menagerie, Blake Belladonna. I know some creepy dude tried to kidnap you and then stabbed you." She took a deep, shaky breath, barely believing that she was about to voice it… and then pursued. "And I know you're some kind of cat shape-shifter. Before you ask, I was the only one to see you but my sister knows too."

"I guess I owe you an explanation…" Blake winced, although she hadn't denied anything

"Nope!" Ruby hopped through the door with two water glasses filled to the brim and her brow furrowed in concentration. "I'd love to hear everything you have to say, but the only thing you owe is some rest, and that's to yourself."

Ruby pursued her very focused trip, unaware of the effect her sudden intervention had had on Blake. The same could not be said for Yang however, as she had seen Blake back away quite violently from the intrusion, nails almost as sharp as claws digging into the mattress and her cat tail that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere was now slightly pressed against Yang's wrist. As if she had reflexively tried to place herself somewhat between the intruder and Yang. And the blonde suddenly had all the trouble in the world not blushing or cooing at how adorable this simple gesture was. A few seconds later, barely a blink, and it was all gone, to the point that she wondered if she had just dreamed… Blake was back to her former cool and collected self.

"I'm a fast healer, I will be fine," the slender girl dismissed. "As for the explanation… where to begin? My family has been among the shape-shifters for very long, we've been keeping the secrets of the Shifters community for longer than anyone can remember."

"Is that why you're the kings and queens of Menagerie?" Ruby softly asked, eyes shining with delight on the prospect of hearing an incredible story.

"Yes, and no. It's complicated, we're the royal family because we have the knowledge on that matter, but we have the knowledge and power to make someone a shifter because we are the royal family. It's kind of like the chicken and the egg, really."

"Does it have anything to do with Faunus?"

"Not at all. Shifters use magic to change, Faunus are born with animal traits. Sometimes it overlap, but you don't need to be a Faunus to be a shifter, and all Faunus are not shifters."

"And you, are you a Faunus… or… ?" Yang hesitantly asked, vaguely gesturing toward the numerous animal features Blake sported, which elicited a light blush.

"No… I kind of messed my last shift, I think you can guess why. I'm sort of stuck in-between, and I honestly have no idea how to get back to normal."

"I'm sure you'll find something," she smiled softly. "In the meantime, try to rest okay? And thanks for telling us all of that."

She was about to stand up, about to leave the room to find somewhere quiet where she could think about everything that had been thrown her way. Magic, shapeshifter, a kind of secret community… How much was she really ready to believe? How much did she still not know? But every intention of hers was delayed when she saw Blake opening her mouth, hesitating.

"What's up?"

"I want to thank you for helping me, and not sending me to the hospital." Before anyone could react she held up her hand, signifying that she was about to further her explanations. "The man who attacked us, his name is Adam Taurus. He's one of the most decorated police deputies of Menagerie."


	7. 7 - Undercover

Back! Slightly sooner than last time, hopefully... I'm having so much fun with this, watching every little detail come together!

Once again, thank you immensely for the reviews 3

And Wolfy, rest assured, I rarely ever give up on stories. And if I did, I would warn so in the fic description. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy!

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"Sorry, what?"

Ruby's voice broke the absolute, shocked silence that had settled not a second ago, but it didn't pull Yang out of her thoughts yet. It made so much sense suddenly, the final piece of the puzzle clicking into place with disturbing ease. Why she was so terrified of setting foot outside, why she had been instinctually worried that he'd find them if she did as much as stay beside her window for too long… Even though she hadn't explicitly recognized him in his twisted attitude, the man she had fought was no doubt the one that appeared on numerous occasion with the royal family. And connecting those two persons, the noble and respected Adam and the rampant madness oozing from the aggressor… it was deeply unsettling.

"You heard her Ruby. I… I didn't think it was a possibility before, but now… it was him." Taking in a shaky breath, she steadied herself before she allowed her eyes to part from the ground. "First of all, we need to inform your parents that you're alive and safe."

Blake nodded slowly, pensively. Then she brought both her hands to her neck, and slowly, deliberately untied the delicate choker collar that laid there, the carefully crafted key lightly sounding with every movement.

"You will need that if you want anyone to take you seriously."

Yang amerced a gesture to retrieve the treasured item, but immediately interrupted herself when she saw the raven-haired girl's hands clench around it, a subtle gesture accompanied by a slight retreat that made her think better. Instead, she showed her palm to their guest as if she told her to stop, words flowing out of her easily.

"Is there anything else? I don't want you to feel pressured to give it to us."

Something flickered in Blake's eyes for the briefest of moments. Was it surprise? Relief? Thankfulness? Disbelief? Maybe something in between all of that, or an even subtler nuance expressed in the slight twitch of her feline ears. Lowering her eyes, she then fiddled with a black ribbon almost invisibly tied around her forearm, over her matching vest.

"I guess I could… It won't be as persuasive as the key, but it should do the trick…"

The cloth finally came loose, revealing intricate purple patterns imprinted on the inner side. Motives that seemed to glow softly as their owner traced a thumb over it, eyes closed and brows knit in concentration. She quietly mouthed a few inaudible words and then finally extended the tissue for the sisters to take, much less gingerly than she had done with the key. Seizing it with all the care in the world, Yang then nodded to her with a small smile.

"Here, we'll warn your parents and be back with a solution in a whiff okay?"

And for the second time in mere minutes, she was about to get up only to seat back immediately when one of their guest's hand shot her way to lightly grab her wrist. That simple gesture, followed as it was by a near-silent plead for her to stay had her reconsider all of her plans and send a hopeful, although slightly sorry gaze on her sister.

"I'll take care of it, don't worry. You would have slowed me down anyway," Ruby replied with a smirk, finally grabbing a hold of the evidence and tucking it safely in the seemingly never-ending pocket of her scarlet hoodie. "I'll let uncle Qrow know she's awake, he'll want to check up on her."

And with that, she was out the door running.

* * *

She barely slowed down long enough to fetch the house's keys and warn both adults of Blake's awakening before she darted outside, heart already beating fast from the prospect of speaking with strangers. Another stop later, this time to make sure her running shoes were securely tied, and she ran again, having already mapped her path mentally. As often when she ran, she forgot most things except for the exhilarating feeling of speed that rushed through her veins, blood pumping high with adrenaline as she took some of the shortcuts she had found during her daily explorations. It asked her to jump over fences, sometimes keep a precarious balance, but it only made the adrenaline higher and her delight stronger. Truly, there was nothing better than running freely around the streets, even if it meant she got some side glances when she laughed and took some unusual paths.

She kept running without a care in the world until she reached the entryway of the palace, breath suddenly short and legs wavering as it finally dawned on her how important the next minutes would be. She took a moment to catch her breath, hands on her knees and head turned down, facing away from her actual destination… Until she finally admitted to herself that nothing would happen if she didn't take the first step. And so she found herself walking toward the entrance, barely sparing a glance for the numerous topiaries and rich vegetation neatly cared for on each side of the alley. Knocking on the door with the heavy, lion-headed brass knocker, she collected her thoughts and focused on what she would say. Both her hands were buried deep in her sweater, her fingers lightly brushing against the ribbon as she waited.

"State your business with the royal family," a firm, almost harsh voice resounded in the small opening of the door, the person behind it nearly invisible if not for their ice-blue glare.

"It's about the princess.." Ruby hesitantly tip-toed, nervousness coming back full force now that she was facing someone she didn't know. "She asked me to deliver a message…"

"Do you have a proof of your claims?" the voice was still firm, but much gentler than before.

"She gave me her ribbon…" retrieving the aforementioned object, she then heightened it so that it would be visible even from the other side of the rectangular peephole.

No answer came, and for a while, she was worried she had done something wrong. That is, until the door creaked open, revealing a young woman barely taller than her, clad in white armour. Her piercing blue gaze was softened by the rest of her expression, calm but gentle features framed by snow-white hair and edged by the pristine metal of her outfit.

"Could I see the ribbon?"

Nodding, Ruby let her examine it, watching attentively as the guard turned the ribbon over and over again. She was looking at every brushstroke of the pattern with undivided attention as if reading some kind of message hidden amongst the abstract motives. Finally, she set her eyes back on the runner, who immediately felt relieved when she smiled.

"Sorry for the cold welcome, it is how the procedure works. Please follow me, I shall escort you to the king and queen."

Nodding vividly, she felt utterly unable to say anything. Luckily it didn't seem to be expected from her for now, and she followed the guard amongst halls tastefully decorated. It seemed rich, but not stupidly expensive as she had always thought a palace would be: carefully carved stone laid where she would have expected precious metals, and the wood was brightly painted instead of simply being of the expensive, polished rare kind. It gave the palace a generally comforting atmosphere, a warm place instead of the cold and detached preciousness one could expect from the literal rulers of the island. They both stopped mere minutes before entering the throne room, the guard whose name was Weiss making sure everything was in place before introducing her to the royal family. Taking a deep breath under the powerful gaze of the monarchs, she started recounting everything she knew. Everything except the attacker's identity, as well as the whole Shifter story Blake had told them… She had seen a few persons lurking in the shadows, and she felt like it would be better to keep some details secret. You never knew who could be listening… and in this case, you never knew what would get reported back to the deputy.

An unknown amount of time later she was out of the palace, throat slightly sore form speaking that much and confusion deeply settled in her mind as she replayed the discussion over and over again. The king had been aggressive at first, until Weiss intervened to ensure that she didn't hurt their daughters, on the contrary. The queen had seemed worried beyond words but still had taken some time to reassure her somehow. But what puzzled her the most was their reactions. They had assured her they would do everything necessary to ensure the princess' security, thanked her for carrying such precious message, but then… when she had asked if they wanted her address to send a guard or something to retrieve their daughter… they had simply said it wouldn't be necessary as Weiss slightly shook her head no. It was just plain baffling.

She ran back home a little slower, alleviated from the ribbon but weighted by the puzzling news. She was so deep in her thoughts she almost didn't see the small kitten scratching at the front door. Feeling a smile creep up her lips almost against her will, she scratched it delicately behind the ears before trying to fetch her keys.

"There you are! I was worried about you, you know? With all the traps around… I'm glad you're okay," she cooed toward the white furball that meowed at her in answer in the cutest way possible.

Finally retrieving the elusive piece of metal, she unlocked the door and got back inside without as much as a question on her morning run, rushing past her father and Qrow as to get back to her sister as fast as possible. She put extra care in her steps however, as the kitten was following her every move and the last thing she wanted was to accidentally step on and hurt it. She finally got inside the room and sunk into the only remaining chair, searching for her words. How could she concisely resume everything, even the part that didn't make sense to her? The door clicked shut, and she was interrupted even before she started speaking by the startled expression on Yang's face, her sister's gaze fixated on a point just behind her. Hesitantly turning, she felt her jaw drop much like the blonde's when she saw that there was a fourth person in the room, and the kitten was nowhere to be seen.

"Do you have any idea how worried we all were?!" came Weiss' accusation, directed at Blake.


	8. 8 - Royal Guard

Well, I've been away for a while, haven't I? But I'm back, and I should write a lot more frequently - you could say it's kind of a New Years Resolution. Taken in late January.

Anyway, as always, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! slightly shorter than the usual for this story, but I wanted to get back into it slowly.

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"What do you have to say for yourself? I'm waiting for an explanation, if not an apology." Arms crossed, jaw set, the stranger in white was glaring at Blake from behind her armoured helmet. "You young lady are in so much trouble. You're lucky I know this…" she marked a brief pause, vaguely pointing at Ruby. "… city well enough to have found you. My apologies for the intrusion in your home milady, this ruffian here didn't leave me much choice."

Mouth gaping like a dumbstruck fish, Yang was at loss for words. Knowing that some people could turn into cats was a thing, seeing it live for the second time was another entirely… Although the two experiences were barely comparable. This time there had been no scream, no distorted bones nor terrifying confusion. No, there simply was a white kitten, and the next second it was a petite woman clad in pristine armour standing at the door.

And she couldn't decide if the familiarity of the white kitten was reassuring or absolutely mortifying.

Blushing, blabbering and finally bringing her knees up to hide in a corner, Ruby seemed to decide on the latter. Which was understandable, considering she had been the one closest to the kitten… It took her a minute to wipe away from her consciousness the image of Ruby cradling the white furball, kissing its ears and petting it, but when she managed, she realized that the conversation had gone nowhere besides a seemingly endless list of reproach the guard was now making, huffing and glaring at Blake every now and then to make sure she was listening.

"and… Blake of the house Belladonna, are you wincing at me? Am I no more than an annoyance to you?"

At these words, lilac eyes immediately darted toward the injured woman, worry coming back in tides. She shot out a hand and caught Blake's form, helping her lower back on the bed slowly before muttering to no one in particular.

"Ruby? Could you ask Uncle Qrow if we can get some more painkillers for the princess?" The curious gaze Blake sent her way felt odd, but she figured she'd better stick to her title with miss prim and proper already throwing a fit.

"Painkillers? Really, are my words that much of a blunder?" She huffed, arms still crossed. Until she saw the red now soaking her charge's clothes. "You're bleeding. Oh my Dust, Blake you're bleeding!"

In an instant, all manner of anger or resentment dropped from the stranger's face as she rushed at the bedside like a façade silently crumbling. Unlike what Yang had expected, she did not push her aside in her hurry to evaluate the damage. Instead, she swiftly slid on her knees just beside the mattress, gingerly pulling fabric away from the reddened zone while biting her lower lip in an evident display of care and concern.

"Yes, Weiss, I am bleeding," Blake managed with an amused smile. "Being stabbed generally achieve that kind of effect."

"You were STABBED?" the shrill cry that resounded in answer nearly made Yang's ears ring, the princess's words doing little to calm the rising panic of her guard – Weiss? She seemed to calm down a little when she saw the light in her charge's eyes, however. "Oh, of course, I should have known that stabbing you wouldn't get rid of your sass. You'd have to get killed for that."

"And even then, it might not be enough."

The smirk they shared then was knowing, both women sizing up their opponent, waiting for the other to make the first move and add on to the conversation. It was almost endearing to watch, their mutual affection clearly visible… And the prick of jealousy Yang expected from seeing Blake so trusting around someone else never came. She was simply content with sitting this conversation out.

"You're right, you'd have to add at least one exorcism," the guard said falsely pensive, tapping her chin with her index slowly. "And I'm guessing you didn't think it was worth mentioning in your little note?"

When Blake didn't answer, her gaze hardened.

"Who are you protecting, princess? Whoever dared attempt on your life must pay the price."

"She isn't protecting anyone" Yang instinctively reacted, flinching when she received the full weight of the ice-blue glare.

Weiss seemed to suddenly notice her, a gleam in her eyes betraying her full attention as well as the quick run-over she did, undoubtedly noticing the injuries dotting her ribs and hand.

"You certainly would know, barely out of a fight. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were holding her hostage… But I think we both know the only reason the princess is here is that she's willing to stay."

There was a sharp edge to her voice, a certainty in her words. And yet, underneath what sounded like a judgmental remark – or even an insult, she had just implied Yang to be a kidnapper after all – there was a hint of respect. Thankfulness maybe?

"What Yang mean," Blake intervened, drawing her guard's gaze back to her. "Is that I didn't know who would read my note. And I didn't want my attacker to know how successful he had been in wounding me, nor that I identified him."

A scowl set on the armoured woman's face and her tone became flat, serious.

"What you are hinting at is a very serious accusation princess. Are you saying someone from the palace attacked you? Do you have any proof of what you're saying?"

It was this moment Ruby chose to close the door, the soft clicking sound deafening in the sudden silence. All heads snapped toward her, and she awkwardly raised the glass of water and a medicine strip she was holding in her right hand.

"Got the painkillers, our uncle says she can take two now and two more in an hour if needed. He's a surgeon," she hastily added when Weiss' eyes narrowed, sensing the doubt rising. "And… I also brought this. I figured you might need it, you know, proof and all."

With these words she showed her other hand, gingerly holding a blood-stained tissue wrapped around an obscure shape. A shape with a cutting edge and a menacing silhouette, one that could only be the knife they had pulled out of Blake's wounds… With everything happening, Yang had almost forgotten about this particular evidence.

Ruby crossed the room in awkward, tension-filled silence. The princess gratefully took the drug, popping two pills and downing them in a big gulp of water, visibly relaxing as she set back both the glass and the remaining medicine on the bedside table. Meanwhile, Weiss retrieved the wrapped package with a kind nod that didn't escape Yang and slowly opened it, as if she feared to be attacked by whatever was packed… When the blade shone in the bright light of the sun passing through the window, all released a breath they hadn't noticed they were holding.

The knife was – Scratch that. It wasn't a vulgar knife, it was a double-edged dagger. Its blade was aggressively curved upwards, small barbs dotting its spine and making it a miracle the wound it had inflicted was as clean as it was. The rest of the metal was oddly shaped, and although it was slender and designed for efficiency, looking at it felt odd, off-balance somehow. The steel itself was a crimson red lined with black, abstract lines and circles, which made the dried blood on its tip appear a sickish brown. The handle was much simpler, smooth and weathered by use, made in something that resembled ivory. A horn perhaps? It was decorated with four black horizontal lines at the start and end.

But what truly baffled Yang was the name engraved in the blade itself, the first letter partially dripped in blood – Adam Taurus.

"What kind of careless maniacs leaves a blade with their name inside the people they stab?" Ruby muttered as if speaking any louder would break the exposed weapon.

"Apparently? The same kind that almost forced me to marry him." Blake said dryly, further baffling the two sisters.


End file.
